Some Things Are Better Left Unassumed
by Serinidia
Summary: When Neal cuts his tracker off to take on a case his way, he leaves Peter in the dark. Injured and scared the young con artist must convince his partner and the FBI that he wasn't really running. But will they help him when he's in a crisis? Not Slash!
1. Lost and Abandoned

_**Author's Note: Hiya guys! Yup I'm writing two White Collar stories at the same time. I hope you enjoy! The chapter has lots of Neal angst, and pissy Peter. Please review! I do not own the characters from White Collar.**_

**_If I could, I would own Neal... but I can't =(_**

* * *

_Present_

The lone figure stood hunched over in the middle of the street. One foot shuffled in front of the other in a pronounced limp as the young man forced himself to keep walking. He stumbled over the curb and grabbed the mailbox for support as his legs buckled under him. A stifled moan made its way past clenched jaws and pursed lips.

Rain pattered down and a gentle breeze caressed the man's face soothingly as it whispered encouragingly into his ears. Lightning flared as Mother Nature did her best to light the way for the weary traveler. The wind picked up, piercing through the torn clothes and the man's resolve.

With another low groan the young adult sank to his knees and lay down on his back before curling into a miserable ball. He wanted nothing more than to give up and let Nature claim him.

_After all,_ he thought with a shrug,_ it's not like I would be missed._

Only a part of him argued that he was too young to die and that he didn't want to be known for dying like this.

He wanted, no _needed_ for someone to miss him terribly if he were to go and there was no one like that left in his life.

He was a criminal, an outcast.

A liar, manipulator, cheat; those were the terms that described him. Not to mention cold hearted and un-trustworthy.

The young con artist shuddered as the reality of what people thought of him sank in.

Definitely not a good parting image. But moving hurt, hell even breathing hurt right now. He had to tell himself to breathe and that was something he should be able to do automatically.

He curled up into a miserable ball, tears rolling down his face. He was scared. The one person who could truly help get out of this mess wasn't going to be there for him. He was sure of it. He had in a sense, betrayed that person. Not intentionally of course.

But Peter wouldn't see it that way.

And that was what hurt so damned much… mentally at least.

Neal wondered vaguely if Elizabeth would help him. He might have a decent shot at that, seeing as she seemed to like him. Or at least used to seem to like him…

Would she be mad at him too?

Mozzie was out of the question; his friend wouldn't really know what to do and was on the other side of the city.

Slipping and sliding in the thick mud Caffrey got to his feet unsteadily and slowly walked forward. Once he reached the side walk, it was easier to move.

The heavy oak door loomed closer and closer and Neal felt a chill move down his spine. _What if she won't help me_? The tiny nagging voice questioned. _Shut up._ A different voice commanded as he shook his head wearily.

He raised a hand that was caked with dried blood and dirt. The ex-con hesitated slightly before knocking.

No answer.

Neal knocked again, louder this time as body started to quiver with fatigue.

Still no answer.

_Come on, please,_ he begged mentally. Someone had to be home at this time of night. _Maybe El is a sound sleeper_, his mind rationed reasonably.

This time he banged on the door desperately.

The world spun around him and he swayed, clutching the side of the wall for support. He never heard the door open or the astonished, "Neal!" that El practically screamed. His world had already faded to black…

* * *

_Seven and a half hours earlier_

"Peter, you know you can trust me right?" Neal's face was unusually serious. The two were just walking out of the FBI building after a long and boring day. Peter unlocked the doors to his car and motioned for Neal to get in. The ex-con artist got in and looked at his partner, waiting for the answer tensely.

Agent Peter Burke narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean Neal?" He questioned voice harsher than he had intended it to be.

Neal looked at him with flash surprise showing in his eyes for a brief moment. "I asked first."

"Some what." Peter answered as he backed out of the parking space. "Now answer my question."

Neal turned to face Peter his expression solemn. "Promise me you'll be there for me when I need you."

"Depends on what you've done Caffrey." Peter answered, not liking the way this conversation was headed.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Neal hissed urgently.

There was a long pause as Peter mulled over the question. He wouldn't be able to keep that promise if Neal did something boneheaded and ended up being thrown into jail. He sighed softly before answering with a firm, "No."

This time the flash of hurt surprise was clearly noticeable and Peter winced inwardly. "Neal… its not that I wouldn't help you if I could, but at one point or another I won't _be able to help you_."

Silence.

Peter could tell that Neal felt insulted and hurt but he could also tell from the look on the consultant's face that Neal was planning something.

"See you." Neal slammed the car shut and stalked into his apartment.

Peter groaned and felt like doing a face-palm. El was so much better at reading people and their needs than he was.

* * *

_Six hours ago._

The incessant and annoying _buzz_ of a cell phone rang through the room like a claxon bell. The would-be sleeping form of Peter groaned in annoyance and finally answered the blasted device. "Peter Burke." He barked the words into the phone.

Hughes' voice answered him in an infuriated, "Neal's on the run."

"From what?" Peter asked, still half asleep.

"Neal cut the tracker and took off. He mailed it to us."

Peter sat upright almost immediately. "He what?" His voice came out in a half-toned shout. Glancing over at his now-awake wife apologetically, Peter got out of bed. After a few more minutes of listening to Hughes' demands that he get his butt in that office right away, he hung up.

"What's wrong?" El's voice asked worriedly. She was sitting up and watching him with concern.

"Neal… betrayed us." Peter answered shortly.

"What does that mean?"

"He cut off the tracker and ran."

"Didn't you say that the two of you were handling a difficult case?"

"Yeah." Peter grunted. "But that still doesn't excuse his behavior."

"Was he acting strangely today?"

_There was that weird trust issue that he had_, Peter thought mentally before blowing it off. It had all been a part of Neal's con. He had conned him.

Peter closed his eyes and leaned against the door. _I can't believe that I trusted him. _Peter berated himself mentally before adding, _too a degree_. How could he have been so stupid? "No." Peter felt bad lying to his wife but he was so confused and hurt right now that he didn't feel like talking.

He kissed Elizabeth on the cheek before grabbing his coat. "I don't know when I'll be back." He told her apollogetically. _Damn it Neal_, he thought angrily,_ you just had to pitch a hissy and run away which ruined a well deserved night's sleep_. "I'll call you if I find anything out. If he shows up here I want you to call me right away. Don't fall for his charming little tricks and use these to keep him here." He instructed her as he handed her a spare pair of handcuffs.

* * *

**_Author's Notes: Like it? Hate it? Have any suggestions? Please review!_**


	2. Neal's Fear of Hospitals

_**Author's Note: I have noticed that quite a few people have commented on Peter's and Neal's amount of trust in the show**_._** As stated in the first chapter they had just gotten through a very long and boring day. Peter was not in a very good mood that is why he is acting the way he is. I am not trying to sound rude or defensive, just trying to clear up the confusion as clearly as possible. Neal has also used the system to his own advantage a few times on the show and I decided to use that against Peter having complete and total trust in Neal. Don't get me wrong, he still trusts Neal just not completely. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and watches! It really made my day so please keep it up!**_

* * *

Elizabeth Burke sighed softly in a regretful annoyance. She really needed a good night's sleep but now she had a sick feeling in her gut. She was worried about the young con-artist and her motherly instincts were kicking in at full force.

_Neal, what have you gotten into this time? Where are you?_ The questions raced through her head as she pushed the bed covers aside and got up. She glanced briefly at the hand-cuffs on the bedside table next to her and rolled her eyes.

_I swear, if men were able to have 'that time of the month' like us woman Peter would be so…_ El stopped that thought as she turned the TV onto an old NCIS episode. She gazed at the screen, not really watching the show, eyes glassy.

"Might as well shower." She mumbled to herself as she stepped into the bathroom. She took her time and enjoyed the warmth of the water before getting out and drying off. Dressing into some sweats and a long-sleeved shirt, El went down to the kitchen and heated up some hot chocolate.

The silence in the house was eerie and she looked out the window when she heard a low rumbling noise.

Thunder. She rolled her eyes and hoped that this storm wouldn't make the power go out. Last time a thunder storm had gone through here had knocked the power out and the food in the fridge had ended up going bad before the power was restored. She did _not_ want that to happen again.

* * *

Peter sat in his office chair staring at his coffee cup disinterestedly. An open file sat on his desk but it was obvious that the FBI agent wasn't interested in its contents. He picked up the cup and drained the rest of the liquid in a long swallow. Sighing, he got up and went downstairs to the coffee machine.

_This really can't be good for my health_, he thought as he watched the coffee machine refill the cup. _And its probably a record for me, fifth one in quite a few hours._

Once the cup was refilled Peter carried it back to his desk and picked up the broken tracking device. He couldn't for the life of him understand why Neal would spontaneously decide to run for it.

The 32 year old was much smarter than that. And it just wasn't Neal's style to send the item back to the FBI.

The alarm bells that were going off inside his head were making him feel nauseas and he got up, pacing the width of his office. Something was just plain _wrong._

"_Peter, you know you can trust me right__?" _That question, so innocent and hopeful kept running through Peter's head as he tried to reason out what Neal had really been trying to ask him.

"_Promise me you'll be there for me when I need you__."_ _Damn it Neal what the hell have you gotten yourself into_?

Peter closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly. _Work brain, work damn it_, he coaxed none too kindly.

* * *

Elizabeth was blissfully unaware of the weak knock that tapped across her front door. She was sitting curled up on the couch still sipping out of her cup of hot chocolate. She had a blanket wrapped around her and she was just about to fall asleep when a fist hammered against the door.

She jumped in surprise and grabbed the gun that was locked in the safe and walked cautiously over to the front door. _Who the heck is at the front door at this time in the morning_? El wondered as she peered out of the peep-hole. Her hands went slack in surprise and she dropped the gun immediately without even realizing it. Her hands fumbled with the lock and swung the door open hastily. "Neal!"

The young consultant looked at her blankly before his eyes rolled and he fainted. His face was white and tremors constantly wracked his body. Neal's clothes were soaked in blood and she could see the precious liquid running down his left arm.

Bending down she grabbed him from under the armpits and pulled forward relentlessly. El knew that he was hurt (duh) but she also knew that she had to get him out this rain and the freezing cold temperatures.

"Neal, you weigh a lot heavier than you look." She informed the unconscious man as she struggled to pull him inside the house.

As soon as she had managed to move him just inside the front door, El left him briefly to shut the door. "Neal, what have you gotten into?" She clucked the rhetorical answer.

"E-l?" The weak reply startled El so much that she flattened herself against the door before she turned around.

"Neal?" She walked over to him and sat down next to him.

Neal grunted and opened his eyes slowly. He made a small whimpering noise as he attempted (and failed) to sit up. He narrowed his eyes in confusion before he remembered that he had come here himself.

El moved her hand to his chest immediately and pushed him back down to the ground gently. "Take it easy Neal." She soothed.

"S'rry." He slurred weakly as he let his body relax again.

"For what?"

" 'Bout the magic ankle tether."

"Neal you don't need to be sorry about that." El told him as she started to check his injuries. _At least not to me_, she added mentally.

She pressed down on a nasty cut in his side; trying to staunch the blood flow. Neal's back arched in surprise and cried out in pain. He inhaled sharply a few times before regaining control of himself.

"Sorry Neal." Elizabeth apologized, wincing herself as she applied more force to the injury in order to stop the bleeding.

When she didn't get an answer Elizabeth glanced at him. "Neal?"

"M'till 'ere." He slurred drowsily.

"Just making sure. Hang in there." She encouraged. Elizabeth was scared for the young con artist and she knew that she should be calling for help and telling Peter, but she was to afraid for Neal to leave his side.

After a few more minutes of battling the _should I'_s and the _should I not'_s Elizabeth released the pressure on Neal's side and got up stiffly.

It took her a while to actually locate the phone but once she did Elizabeth dialed Peter's number.

* * *

"Hello?" Peter answered his phone with a frown. Something must be wrong if El was calling him right now and it only added onto his anxiety.

"Peter? I need you to come home. Now." She sounded scared, worried and urgent at the same time.

"Why? What's wrong?" Peter asked as he grabbed his stuff and started walking out the door hurriedly.

"It's Neal." The statement was simple.

"What about Neal?" Peter asked a little bit exasperated with his wife for not just telling him what was wrong.

"Peter, he's here…" There was the sound of a loud swallow, like she was trying to contain emotions. "Peter he's in a real bad shape."

Peter's heart picked up immediately "I'm on my way. Keep him awake or try to wake him up."

"I will." El promised him. "See you in a little bit."

"I'll see you soon."

Peter's car came to a screeching halt when he pulled into his driveway. He raced out of the car and into the house.

"El?"

"In here, Peter." His wife's voice called back to him from the living room.

Neal was lying on the couch, pale, trembling and panting. The kid was obviously in terrible pain and if it was half as bad as he looked….

Peter shuddered not wanting to think about how much his partner was hurting. It was killing him to see Neal like this.

"He told me not to send him to the hospital." El told Peter, voice laced with worry.

Peter glanced at her sharply. "Do you know why?"

"No." She answered shaking her head.

Peter leaned forward and gently prodded Neal in an area where he wasn't hurt. A low groan answered him and then his hand was smacked away weakly as if Neal was swatting at an annoying fly.

"P- Peter." Neal greeted him.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Don' take 'e to the hosp'." Neal begged his blue eyes wide.

"Neal, you need to go to the hospital. In case you didn't notice, you look like crap."

The consultant grabbed Peter's fore-arm, his grip surprisingly strong. "No." He hissed sharply. "The'll find 'e if you do."

"Who'll find you?" Peter asked, deeply concerned. _What in the world has Neal gotten into?_ The FBI agent wondered. _Only you Neal would be able to get yourself into such a mess._ It was true.

Peter had never met a man that was such a trouble magnet before Neal Caffrey had walked into his life.

"The Hawk."

* * *

**_Author's Note: I really am spoiling you guys... updating so fast... writing two White Collar fanfics at the same time..._**

**_ So spoil me back with a review... _**

**_ You don't even to write anything complicated, even "Good job" will be good enough for me!_**


	3. Trouble's Never Far Away From Neal

_**Author's Note: Hiya guys! Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews! And whoever keeps sending me the random plot bunnies…it's driving me crazy. So far I have at least 10 other White Collar story plot lines that are vying to be the next to go down on paper… Please keep it up and enjoy!**_

* * *

Elizabeth Burke looked down fondly on the ex-con artist in front of her. The young man was lying on her couch; the lines of pain that were etched on in his waking hours were no longer visible.

If she didn't know better she would think that Neal Caffrey was just a tired youth taking a nap.

But she did know that something had happened to him. She just didn't know what.

There was a low groan and the boy in front of her stirred slightly. A piece of long, dark brown strand fell in front of his eyes as he changed positions so that he was on his side facing her.

There was a low snore on the other side of the room and she twisted around to determine the exact location of the snore. A small smile flickered over her face as she saw her beloved husband drool on the pillow underneath him. Peter had been awake since he had come home and had only settled down once El had assured him for the hundredth time that she would wake him if Neal got up.

With a small sigh she walked into the kitchen and heated up another mug of hot chocolate.

* * *

_Neal's Dream_

_Neal staggered with a wince as he climbed down the other side of the window. Looking down at his slacks Neal was indignant. __**Really, how many expensive clothes do I go through for this job?**__ Pressing a hand against his thigh, Neal leaned against the wall and looked around. _

_The Hawk certainly kept his hideout in the most unlikely of places. He was underneath a Harris Teeter's and the quality of lighting was poor. Neal was on the lookout for any booby traps. He stepped forward cautiously and followed the hallway to the end. Tapping a pattern on the brick wall, Neal triggered the secret door to open._

_His ankle felt naked, he had been forced to cut off the tracking device in case something went wrong. Neal didn't want Peter or the rest of the team to get tangled up with the Hawk. If he let them then there would be a blood bath._

_Literally._

_So, Neal had done the one thing he could. After alienating himself from his only hope of back up, Neal had taken several different taxies to about a mile away from the Harris Teeter's. It took him about eight minutes to reach the grocery store and then had climbed through a jagged and broken window._

_And so here he was._

_Neal found the Hawk's private office quickly and pressed his ear against the heavy cherry wood door. There was no movement from within and after a few moments Neal picked the lock. Once inside, Neal walked briskly over to the large desk in the back of the room. He was forced to pick the locks on the desk drawers and started going through the files. There was a loud __clunk__ as something slid off of one of the sheets of paper. Brows furrowed Neal peered into the drawer to see what had made the noise._

_His eyes widened as he pulled his hand up and saw an all too familiar tracking device._

_How had they gotten his ankle tracker?_

_Neal never had a chance to wonder how they had been able to attain the device. A solid blow to the back of the head saw to that…_

* * *

_Back in Real Life_

Neal groaned and he tossed over, almost falling off the couch in the process. A low animal like whimper sounded from deep within his throat and Peter shot upright instantly. Shaking his head groggily Peter went over to his friend and touched the young criminal's shoulder gently.

"Neal, it's just a dream buddy." Peter did his best to soothe as he crouched down so that he was eye level with his colleague.

There was another small whimper and Neal turned his face towards Peter. Peter grinned slightly and gently ran his hand through Neal's thick hair in a fatherly fashion.

_Neal, I wish you would tell me what happened. This is killing me,_ the agent thought and felt something round and warm pressed into his hand.

He could tell by the aroma that it was hot chocolate. He smiled warmly at Elizabeth and nodded his thanks to her. She grinned back at him and took his free hand gently.

"Not that I wanna ruin the moment or anything, but I _really_ need to go." Neal's voice cut through the silence and his blue eyes were imploring Peter plaintively.

_Perfect timing Caffrey_, Peter groaned mentally, although he was very relieved to see that the younger man seemed to be feeling better. He reached down and helped Neal up gently.

Neal groaned softly but otherwise didn't complain. Once he had relieved himself he knocked on the door to tell Peter that he was coming back out.

The fed was on the phone, forehead creased into a frown. Neal opened the door but didn't make the move to go out. He could hear Hughes' furious voice all the way over from in the bathroom and winced at the thought of what it must sound like next to your ear.

"No, I haven't found Caffrey yet." Peter lied, his gut twisting in knots. He didn't want to lie to his superiors but until he was sure that Neal had done nothing wrong and had the evidence to prove it, he would not tell the young man's whereabouts.

* * *

Neal blanched knowing without a doubt that Hughes had a warrant out for his arrest. Not that he blamed Hughes…

But Peter had _lied _for him. _Lied_! Neal was touched at the notion but he also knew that Peter could lose his job or be arrested under the charge of conspiracy if he were caught harboring Neal in his house.

Five minutes later Peter snapped the phone shut and turned around. The bathroom door was wide open, but Neal was nowhere in sight. Cautiously Peter entered the room and peeked around the corner. He let out a string of cuss words when he saw that the window over the toilet was wide open…

* * *

Neal grunted softly as he landed in the bush under the window and quickly rolled under the plant. He knew that Hughes would be coming over soon. Neal could feel it in his gut and he had learned a long time ago to trust his gut.

Sure enough, almost fifteen minutes later Neal saw Hughes' car roll up into the driveway. He flattened himself even more instinctively.

_You're not on the run from them anymore_, he berated himself. _Well at least not really._

If he turned himself in he might have a good chance at getting off easy. Maybe he could convince them what had really happened last night.

_Totally saved your all's worthless asses and this is how I get repaid for it?_ The thought was indignant and sarcastic at the same time. His team wasn't considered to be a part of the 'worthless asses'.

Mind made up, Neal crawled out of the bushes and un-wrapped the bandages that Elizabeth had fixed over his injuries with a controlled hissing noise as the air bit into the raw flesh painfully.

After disposing of the bandages under the bush Neal staggered up to the front door. By then he didn't have to pretend being in pain and winded. He really was. Neal's side felt like it was on fire and he would've given anything to stop it.

Pausing briefly for a rest, Neal leaned up against the wall before knocking on the door, doing his best to act desperate. When he heard the gun cock behind him he froze immediately. He turned his head a little to the side and was able to see Eaglet behind him. _Crap_, Neal swore to himself as he forced his face into a blank and calm look.

* * *

The front door swung open as Peter answered the knocking that he had heard. There was a sickly look on Neal's face and that was the only thing Peter noticed before he saw the man behind his colleague.

Peter mouthed the word, "Hawk" to Neal questioningly.

Neal shook his head ever so slightly.

Eaglet pressed the gun up against Neal's lower back roughly, making the con-artist wince in pain. Peter put up his hands and stepped a little closer to Neal.

The thirty-two year old shuddered when Eaglet leaned forward and whispered, "Let's take out two birds with one bullet, shall we?"

"Its one stone you idiotic moron." Neal couldn't contain the sarcastic remark. He was pissed and knew that he should have left sooner. That he should never have come to the Burkes' residence.

Peter picked up on the hint and moved out the way right when Eaglet pulled the trigger. Neal jerked with a loud grunt of pain as the bullet ripped through skin, muscle and tissue, tearing a hole through his already battered body.

His eyes met Peter's before Neal pitched forward, blood trickling out of his mouth and down his chin…

* * *

_**Author's Note: Like it? Wrote in school (in my free time) and typed it up when I got home. I'm trying to be really good about the updates for you guys while making the chapters so that they still are of good quality. **_

_**As always pleeeeaaassee review for me! I love reviews, they give me more plots and schemes to incorporate on poor Neal and Peter and the rest of the gang so yeah…**_

_**Hit that review button. I know you want to…**_


	4. Desperate Revelations

_**Author's Note: Wow, thank you guys for the reviews, watches, and favorites! Here is the next installment. Be warned, this chapter does get a bit gory and if you are squimish skip over the end of the chapter. **_

* * *

Peter stared in shock at the crimson stain that was spreading across Neal's shirt. The younger man seemed to gurgle something, trying to speak but failing. Blood trickled out of the con-artist's mouth before he pitched forward. While Neal fell, Peter fired his gun over his friend's head, hitting Eaglet in the lower abdomen.

The other man collapsed with a groan and Hughes stepped over from where he had been crouched over Neal, and grabbed Eaglet's arm so that the man couldn't try to escape. Peter nodded gratefully at Hughes and turned his attention on Neal.

The young con-artist's breathing was harsh and ragged, struggling to resupply his body with air. He yelped loudly when Peter pressed down on his newest injury and tried to push his friend away weakly. Neal opened his mouth, trying desperately to speak.

"Nngghh…p-p-pe-tt—e-r." Neal choked the words out, trying to force them past the sticky fluid that was filling his throat.

"Sh, Neal, you're going to be fine. Just save your strength right now." Peter did his best to reassure the young man in front of him. He was surprised when he saw a defiant hardness flare in Neal's eyes.

Neal swallowed hard, trying to clear his throat. "E-l."

"No, I'm Peter…"

Neal shook his head in frustration. "El-l."

Peter frowned, _what about her_? "I'm Peter, you know… your friend and partner…"

Neal growled in frustration, fists clenching at his sides. "H—urt…" His voice trailed off weakly and he cleared his throat again. "Ell…iza…b…eth."

"I know it hurts buddy, but you've got to hang in there. We'll take care of you, I promise." Peter was beginning to think that Neal was seeing things because of his weakened state. He carefully ran his fingers over the rest of Neal's body to check for any other new injuries. When Neal only winced as Peter lightly skimmed over the older injuries Peter sighed. _Thank God. _Peter mused silently as he studied Eaglet.

The other man was sitting hunched over against the wall with a pained expression on his face. Eaglet looked up and saw Peter staring at him. His eyes narrowed in hate and he gave Peter the finger while Hughes wasn't looking.

Peter made the motions of the "I'm watching you" signal in response. He half expected Eaglet to stick his tongue out at him and sighed in mock disappointment when the former went back to staring at the ground.

* * *

Neal gasped, struggling to breathe past the blood that was clogging up his throat. He made a loud _hack_ing noise as he attempted to exhale heavily in order to clear the airway and ended up having a coughing fit.

His body curled upward as he attempted to double over and he stiffened in surprise when he felt a hand pat him on the back comfortingly. A few minutes later the coughing subsided and he leaned back against Peter weakly. The hand that had been covering his mouth was splattered with blood.

Lungs rasping, Neal tried once more to make Peter understand. "S-ssh-ot." He barely gurgled the word out and forced himself to continue, "El…i-is. P-pp-ete."

He was proud of himself for having been able to spit the words out in a reasonably understandable sentence. If Peter couldn't understand what Neal had just told him, then he was a lot more thick headed then Neal had ever teased him about being.

* * *

Peter looked down at his partner, eyes wide. The gun had been pressed against Caffrey's back when it had been fired. The bullet had gone clean out of Neal's body and most likely had kept going straight.

Straight through the open doorway…

Straight into the house…

* * *

~~~ _**Flashback~~~**_

"_Its one stone you idiotic moron." Neal snarled, his eyes blazing with two different kinds of fire. One fire was made purely of defiance; the other was made of a warning._

_Peter nodded to let Neal know that he had understood the message and side-stepped quickly. _

_He could literally feel the bullet zip past his arm and he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He didn't take a close look at it though; he was too worried for Neal to think about it. _

_Turning his attention back on his partner, Peter saw his mouth move but couldn't hear anything. Neal's eyes connected with his own for a brief moment and Peter felt a surge of rage sweep through him at the amount of pain in the younger man's expression._

_The trickle of blood that trickled out of Neal's mouth and down his chin made Peter feel like he had been punched in the gut._

_God no… _

_Please…_

~~~_**End of Flashback**_~~~

* * *

Peter's gaze flashed up and then he saw what Neal had been trying to tell him this entire time. Whatever color that had remained in Peter's face drained and he set Neal down gently.

Getting up quickly, Peter shot through the open front door to the sagging figure of his wife. She was leaning against the wall, head to her chest and one arm clasped around the other.

Elizabeth lifted her head up when she heard someone coming over to her. She didn't remember what exactly had happened; just that she had been about to go see what the commotion was all about when she had been knocked backwards. El remembered staggering unsteadily before collapsing, her head striking the wall with a solid _thunk_.

"El?" The worry in Peter's voice was almost palpable.

"Yeah?" She grinned at him tiredly. "What happened and where is everyone else?"

Peter couldn't keep himself from glancing out to the front porch.

El saw Peter glance in the direction of the open door, _wait why is the door open? I've told him a countless amount of times to shut the door when he comes in. It lets all of the air conditioning out._ Her rambling thoughts came to an end when she saw Eaglet, Hughes and Caffrey on the porch.

Neal was so still. The kid's face was white and a sheen of sweat glistened on his skin. "Is he…?" El's voice trailed off not wanting to finish the sentence.

_Crap_, Peter hadn't thought about checking on his partner during the last five minutes. "No, he's alive." _At least he was five minutes ago_.

Elizabeth nodded and got to her feet despite Peter's protests. "Did you even think about moving the poor kid inside?" She queried softly.

_Heh_, Peter thought. _Should have thought about that myself. _

"Ummm… no?"

Elizabeth just rolled her eyes at him and walked to the doorway. _Typical men_, she thought in exasperation.

She crouched down next to Neal and lifted his upper body up while Peter grabbed the younger man's legs in order to support his lower body.

Neal groaned and weakly began to try to tug free of their hold on him.

"Neal." Peter's voice was calm and reassuring. "Neal, calm down buddy. We're just moving you so that you can get nice and comfy."

* * *

There was another low groan and Neal stopped moving, allowing them to transport him. Within a couple of minutes Neal felt his back rest against something soft and warm. The couch.

He felt smaller and more delicate hands run over his body and gasped when they skimmed directly over the now exposed injury in his side. Neal twisted away from her and white hot pain surged through his body.

The consultant stilled instantaneously, ragged gasps squeezing past the blockage in throat. _Don't move idiot_, he snapped to himself mentally, _the bullet doesn't need to be moved around or else it cut damage something important. _

His eyes shot open and he grabbed Peter's wrist urgently. "Wice." He forced the word out and continued to speak stubbornly. "Shot… twice."

* * *

Peter's eyes narrowed as he worked to understand what Neal meant. _Shot twice? Jesus, Neal._

"… -t out." Neal was saying as his strength started to fade.

Peter's mind instantly rebelled. _No, Neal don't ask me to do that._

El looked up, "I saw something like this done on a show one time."

"On a TV show? El, don't encourage him to ask us to do something stupid."

"Trust me Peter."

"This is serious!"

"So am I!"

"I don't feel comfortable doing this without professional help. Hell, I don't feel comfortable doing this period!"

El just stared at him stubbornly. "He needs help."

Peter sighed and nodded. "Fine got get the stuff ready and bring them back here."

It took El twenty minutes to gather and prep everything. She saw Peter frown when she returned.

"I'll do the work, you can hold him and try to keep as calm as possible." Peter told her stiffly.

She nodded and handed him what he needed.

Peter looked into the injury hoping that the bullet was near the surface, and that he wouldn't have to hurt Neal a hell of a lot more.

No such luck.

He didn't give Caffrey any warning as the scalpel sliced through tender flesh. Neal screamed and his body bucked, doing everything within his power to try to get away. Peter was barely aware of Elizabeth's murmurs of reassurance to the ex-con artist. Lifting the flesh a little so that he could see better, Peter picked up the claspers and while he was concentrating, saw the bullet.

Neal's body was shuddering violently as the younger man did his best to hold still; tears of pain rolled down his cheeks and gave a soft sob.

Peter inserted the tool and fished around a little before he was able to close them around the bullet. He pulled up and the bullet slid out. _Thank God._

* * *

Neal was still awake although he was no longer aware of what was going on. All he knew was that it hurt.

He could hear someone whispering to him but he could no longer tell who it was or what they were saying as he gave into the approaching darkness willingly…

* * *

_**Author's Note: Told you the end part of the chapter was gory, bet you're wishing that you had headed my warning now aren't ya? Is the darkness death or just unconsciousness? You'll just have to wait and find out. It'll probably take me until late Monday to post though because tomorrow is going to be very busy for me and I have three lengthy essays to get started on…. Blech. Until next time. **_

_**Serinidia **_


	5. Confessions and Thanks

_**Author's Note: Ok, since a few of you asked why they didn't take Neal to the hospital here's the reasoning: The Hawk can get to Neal from ANY place, be it hospital or the Pentagon so leaving Neal at the hospital would be an incredibly big risk. Security guards wouldn't be able to do squat about keeping the man from taking Neal and leaving. Peter and the others feel safer at home because they are at least familiar with their surroundings. Anyhoo, here's the next chapter. =)**_

* * *

FBI Agent Peter Burke ran a hand through his hair tiredly as he took another sip of coffee. It had been almost nine hours since he had done the surgery on Neal and he was still worried. There were so many _what ifs _involved about what could have gone wrong and what could go wrong.

Peter's brain had never hurt more than this and he doubted that it ever would. He could only hope that Neal would be able to tell him what he had been up to the other night. So that he, Peter Burke could take down the people responsible for his partner's condition. He would personally kick their asses into the next Leap Year.

El was sleeping on a blow up bed in the middle of the living room. They had pushed the coffee table to the corner of the room, and had also moved the TV as far over as they could get it. There was another blow up bed on the other side of the room for Reese and Eaglet had been cuffed to the railing that lined the steps.

Hughes had tended to Eaglet's wound because really, what use was a dead criminal?

No, they needed him alive and in prison.

Even if Eaglet didn't agree with them.

Peter got up and paced the room back and forth several times in anxiety. He heard small whimper and rushed back to where Neal was.

"Neal?"

There was no response from the ex-con artist.

With a sigh Peter felt the younger man's head and found that it was at the normal temperature. _Thank God_, he thought as he sat back onto the stool next to the couch.

Something was finally going right.

* * *

_Neal's Dream_

_Once Neal had regained consciousness he had found himself in a long and narrow room, hands tied behind his back. He could feel the thumb drive in his pants pocket and grinned. He still had the data he had come here to get so that meant that this mission hadn't been a complete waste of time after all._

_And that was his only little bit of comfort when the Hawk and a few other men had stepped into the room. The looks on their faces and in their eyes told him that he would __**not**__like what was coming. _

_That was the understatement of the century. _

_The Hawk had a nasty temper and was not tolerant of people that went through his drawers, at all. The first question had been, "What's your name?" and Neal had scoffed at the question. He was fully aware that the Hawk knew perfectly well who he was._

"_Why ask the obvious?"_

"_You really shouldn't piss me off Caffrey."_

"_Didn't say I was doing that." Neal muttered to himself as he braced himself._

"_What were you doing in my office?"_

"_I could ask you what you were doing with my tracker." Neal countered._

_The only thing that remark earned him was a punch to the gut. Neal inhaled sharply but was able to bite back the cry of pain._

"_I was looking for my missing tracker."_

"_Bull."_

_Neal raised an eyebrow. "That's not nice."_

_There was a silence and Neal gulped slightly, wondering what the other man was thinking._

"_See if you can get the information out of him." The Hawk snapped to Eaglet and Owl. "I don't care what you do."_

_Neal watched the Hawk leave with trepidation._

_Two hours later a beaten and exhausted Neal Caffrey wriggled out of the bonds that held him to the chair. With a pained groan he staggered away from the chair and too the door. Smirking, he twisted the key into the lock that had been installed on the inside of the door. Not very smart, he thought with another grin. _

_He had just gotten out of the door when he felt someone grab him from behind and he lashed out quickly. Neal felt a searing pain in his side and he screamed as the man twisted the knife blade. He doubled over and suffered a kidney shot. _

_Twisting around desperately Neal shoved the man away from him. The guard shoved Neal against the wall and the younger man brought his feet up and shoved the man away from him. _

_He fell to the ground as the man dropped him. Neal had pick-pocketed the man's gun. Neal hated guns. But he also hated being stabbed and the possibility of being shot. The man stepped forward again and Neal brought the gun up quickly, feeling as if he were about to be sick._

_The guard stopped and Neal started backing away down the hallway and eventually made his way out of the complex. He tossed the gun in a nearby dumpster and had started the long walk to Peter's house._

_Back in the Present Time_

_

* * *

_

Neal awoke with a start, the horror of he had gone through fresh in his mind and he gazed over at Peter.

"Pete"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"I… I almost did somethin' horrible…" There was a greenish tint to Neal's skin as he returned his gaze to the ceiling.

Peter was silent, waiting patiently for his friend to elaborate.

"I… I could've killed someone Peter." The confession was childlike and rang of innocence that had been tainted.

Peter looked over at Neal. "Neal, whatever it was you did, I'm sure it was just because of the situation you were in."

The young ex-con artist shook his vehemently before replying, "Still doesn't excuse it."

"Neal, I want you to listen to me closely." Peter said in a soothing tone. "Did you force those guys to try to kill you?"

The young man looked at Peter like the agent had grown two more heads. "No."

"Then how can you blame yourself for trying to defend your life?"

Neal was silent as he contemplated the question. "I don't know." He answered sullenly.

Peter smiled. "Then don't."

"Hey Peter?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Peter grinned, "No problem Neal."

* * *

_**Author's Note: See I'm capable of some fluffiness… also for the reason why this and the other story was written (a misbehaving Neal Caffrey that refused to let me draw him until I started writing these Fan Fics…. Funny right?) is now posted on Deviant Art. **_

_**Here is the link: ******__.com/art/Neal-Caffrey-WIP-1-177134293?q=sort%3Atime+gallery%3Aserinidia&qo=0 _

_**Anyways, please leave me a review and I might update before my b'day as a present to you guys… =)**_


	6. Strange Ties

_**Author's Note: Wow! Thank you guys for all of the lovely reviews! Sorry for the wait, enjoy the next chapter =)**_

* * *

Eaglet cringed in front of a very pissed Peter Burke. The younger man was terribly scared of the figure in front of him and had every right to be so. The man had already shot him after all.

"Who sent you?" The question was firm and the agent's eyes narrowed.

Eaglet considered remaining silent but when the man cracked his knuckles the assassin decided that it wouldn't be devastating if he told him the truth. "Can't you tell from my name?"

"What is your name?" Peter asked with a false sense of kindness as he leaned in closer.

"E-Eaglet." The younger man stammered in his haste to answer the fed.

"So I'm guessing the Hawk sent you. Why?"

Eaglet gulped. At this rate the man in front of him would have him spilling all of his secrets and prized information. The young assassin shook his head, "You know I can't tell you that."

Peter moved even closer into Eaglet's comfort zone. "Do I?"

"Y-y-ye-yes." The poor boy was so terrified he was shaking.

_Pathetic_, Peter thought scathingly. "You should tell me before something unfortunate happens to you."

"I was unfortunate the day I met your consultant." Eaglet spat, a trace of pure venom entering his voice.

"Why is that?"

"Will you stop fucking asking me '_Why'_?" Eaglet hissed in annoyance.

"No. At least not until you will answer my question in a satisfactory manner."

"Why?" Eaglet mocked. For the moment it seemed that the young assassin's bold nature had returned.

Peter had already lost patience with the boy and was beginning to go on the borderline between pissed and absolutely livid.

"Don't patronize _me_ boy." Peter screamed at the young man before him as he literally picked up the would-be-Neal-Caffrey-murderer and _rammed_ him into the wall. His famous temper had finally begun to kick in.

"I can't tell you anything or he'll send Falcon to kill me." Eaglet whimpered as he curled in around his stomach.

"Falcon? Who the hell is Falcon?"

"Someone more experienced and quite a bit crueler than I am." The answer was evasively descriptive.

"This guy, the Hawk seems to be fond of using bird names. Do you know why?"

"Birds of prey fascinate him. Their power, silent yet deadly grace that is portrayed in every movement they make…" Eaglet seemed to be becoming a little bit more relaxed now.

Peter nodded and let go of the kid. "Why do you work for him?"

Eaglet looked surprised at the question and he blanched slightly before recovering. "He picked me up off of the streets when I was six. I was way underweight, got beaten regularly by the drunks on the street and got sick often. I was miserable until he taught me the art of stealing and conning. He won't let me forget that and even though I don't like it, he makes me be an assassin."

Peter snorted doubtfully, unsure of whether or not the young man was trying to trick him into believing a 'sob' story.

"I swear it true!" Eaglet sobbed miserably.

For a moment Peter softened but that moment didn't last long. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You asked why I worked for the Hawk. That's my answer." Eaglet sounded genuinely confused.

_Why can't things be black and white anymore?_ Peter groaned mentally as he felt like doing a face-palm. "What would you rather be doing?"

Eaglet looked up at the older man in surprise. The question hadn't been asked in a harsh or suspicious manner, instead it had only sounded curious. "I wanted-" he stopped and corrected himself, "I want to be a field doctor."

Peter nodded an approval. The kid was growing on him the same way a certain felon had been able to grow on him.

* * *

Neal Caffrey had slept through the rest of the night and well into the next morning when he finally opened his baby blue eyes. The young man blinked in confusion when he took in his surroundings but understanding quickly dawned upon him.

He had come here for help. Speaking of help, he really needed to have something to drink. Licking his lips in concentration he reached for a paper that was lying next to the couch. Crumpling it up, he looked over the back of the couch and saw Peter. _Perfecto_, trust Peter to always be where you needed him to be. Neal quickly pegged the paper ball at the agent and lay back down quickly

* * *

There was a startled yelp and the sound of someone trying to choke off laughter. A few minutes later Peter's face loomed over the couch and Neal grinned widely. "Got anything to drink?"

Peter smiled and nodded. "I'll be right back." He called over his shoulder as he walked into the kitchen.

* * *

Eaglet took the opportunity to scoot forward and look at Neal. Neal tensed slightly but narrowed his eyes in confusion when he heard a deeper version of a familiar voice.

"Hey, Neal." Eaglet greeted softly. "I'm sorry about earlier. I really am, but you know how the Hawk is."

"Tim?" The question rasped off of Neal's dry tongue.

Eaglet smiled sadly, "The one and only."

"I thought you were dead."

"I know. I'm sorry Neal, but it wasn't safe to tell you."

A look of shadowed pain flashed in a pair of blue eyes as Neal Caffrey thought about what he had thought was his friend's demise.

* * *

~~~~~~~~~~_**Flashback Starts**_~~~~~~~~

_Fifteen year old Neal Caffrey hid behind the collapsed section of walling as his best friend Tim slid in behind him._

"_Did we lose them?" Neal asked, huffing for breath._

"_I couldn't tell." Tim answered him, breathing heavily as well._

"_I can't believe we got out of there. I thought we were goners for sure." Neal marveled._

_Tim leaned forward and knocked on the wood in front of him softly. Neal rolled his eyes. "Geeze, Tim you're worse than Mozzie."_

"_So what?"_

"_Shh…" Neal hushed his friend urgently as he flattened himself closer to the ground. Tim looked over at him indignantly but didn't say anything._

"_Come on." Neal mouthed the words and slowly crept further back into the debris. Once he was sure that Tim was following him, Neal took off at a much faster pace. The sound of baying hounds filled the air as the dogs picked up the boys' scent. _

_Tim's face turned pale as he looked up at Neal in fear. "They have dogs?" The younger boy whispered the words in panic._

_Neal nodded. "That doesn't mean they can catch us. Come on Tim, the longer we take the more time Hawk has to get suspicious of our loyalties."_

_The companions resumed their desperate scramble for freedom, but when Tim's pants snagged on a rough piece of junk, the two were held back._

"_Neal I can't get free." Tim's voice cracked in fear as he desperately tugged on his pants leg. His green eyes were wide with fear and trust. He knew that Neal would be able to get him out of this. Neal was good at getting them out of sticky situations._

_Neal scrambled back to his friend's side and pulled on the stubborn piece of fabric with everything he had. It remained stuck and the hounds were getting closer. "I can't get it!" Neal sounded scared and desperate._

_Tim looked behind him and flinched when he saw the first of the hounds. "You have to leave me."_

"_What?" Neal asked the question sharply, looking at Tim with incredulity showing in his eyes._

"_You heard me. Leave." Tim pushed Neal away from him._

"_I'm not leaving you to those lunatics Tim."_

"_Yes you are." Tim replied stubbornly. "Please."_

_Tears were swimming in Neal's eyes as he turned away. "I'll find you one day Tim. I promise." Neal vowed to his friend as he started to leave._

_The sound of multiple gunshots filled the air and Neal flinched after every single one of them. He hated guns. The fifteen year-old knew that he would never see his friend again and allowed the tears to stream down his face unchecked. "Goodbye Tim…" He whispered as he found a good hiding spot and let himself mourn the loss of a friend._

~~~~~~~~~~~~_**End Of Flashback**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* * *

Neal swallowed thickly and hugged Eaglet close. "God Tim, I thought you…" Neal didn't finish the sentence, not wanting to voice the rest of it.

Tim/Eaglet nodded and let Neal hug him. He had missed the older boy's companionship and had often wondered what had happened to him since that night.

Peter cleared his throat uncomfortably from where he stood in the doorway, a plastic water bottle in hand. With one eyebrow raised he looked back and for the between the two felons. "Anyone care to explain?"

* * *

_**Author's Note: Hmm…. Seems like Eaglet/Tim isn't the big bad wolf we thought he was… I hope this wasn't too fluffy, I tried to keep it real but that's for you to decide… Please keep up the amazing job at reviewing!**_


	7. More Revelations and Even More Questions

_**Author's Note: Hi ya'll, I am really, extremely sorry about not updating this fic sooner from you guys and I'm hoping you can forgive your not-so-loyal authoress... Enjoy!**__Peter cleared his throat uncomfortably from where he stood in the doorway, a plastic water bottle in hand. With one eyebrow raised he looked back and forth between the two felons. "Anyone care to explain?"_

* * *

An awkward silence filled the room and Neal would've sworn he could have heard a feather drop. The younger man was trying to wrack up an answer when Tim answered for him.

"We knew each other when we were younger."

Neal winced under the scathing glare that Peter shot his direction and knew that Peter would hound him about this before when Neal considered the time to be right. Peter would chew him out here and now and he didn't look forward to it.

"El could you take him into the kitchen for a little bit while I have a chat with Neal?" Peter asked his wife, voice soft at first but hardening when he mentioned the last part.

She nodded and guided Tim into the kitchen, Hughes following behind them closely without needing to be asked. Peter nodded gratefully towards the older man before turning his attention on Neal.

"Start talking." The command was simple and firm.

Neal looked up at Peter and huffed noisily, doing his best to make it obvious that he didn't feel like having this conversation right now.

No such luck. The look on Peter's face told Neal that trying to get out of this conversation would be a waste of time and energy.

"We knew each other when we were younger." Neal deadpanned as he tried to figure out a way to slip out of explaining things _right now_. He wouldn't mind telling Peter the full story later but right now he was sore, tired and emotionally drained.

"Gee thanks Neal, how about you tell me something I didn't already know?"

"He was an Eagle Scout when we were kids." Neal knew that would more than likely piss Peter off but he was also hoping that Peter would get the message if he kept hinting at it to him.

Peter scoffed in disbelief. "That's what the Boy Scouts has come to these days? Promoting felons to the coveted position of Eagle Scouts?"

Neal scowled and stared at the ceiling. "Are you finished?" He snapped. _Nope, Peter's not going to leave this off until later_.

Peter looked over at him in surprise and nodded. Neal's moodiness was highly uncharachteristic of him and Peter realized that he probably was being just a _little_ to pushy in getting the information out of the consultant. But, he needed to know more now so that he could get the big picture and then go throw Hawk's butt in jail.

"Good, now before I was so rudely interrupted…" Neal started. "Tim was an Eagle Scout _before_ we met and started to ha-"

Neal was cut off as Peter mumbled a "That would make sense." In other words _so you led him to the life of crime_.

The younger man shot Peter a rebuking glare before continuing. "His parents had just died in a car accident while we were at school and he didn't have anywhere else to go so he started to hang out with me. I taught him how to survive on the streets and it came in handy after…" Neal stopped abruptly turning his head away from Peter.

There was a moments of silence before Neal continued. " after my dad died neither of us had a place to live so we took to the streets. That's when we met the Hawk and he agreed to take us in on one condition. We would have to steal and con people for a living."

Neal took a sip of water. "Eventually I decided that I wanted to go my own way and needless to say Hawk wasn't very happy about that. He sent a group of men after us and they were equipped with dogs. Tim's pants snagged while we were escaping and he made me keep going. I could hear guns and naturally I assumed he was dead."

Peter nodded thoughtfully, his brow furrowed into a frown of concentration. "So let me get this right, they guy that just about killed you, was your best friend?"

Neal nodded but didn't say anything. He blinked slowly and yawned before looking back over at Peter.

"What are you thinking?"

Peter didn't answer him instead he got up and went into the other room quickly.

Neal raised an eyebrow at the suddenness of the unexpected departure but didn't make any comments. Didn't have the energy to make any comments.

Yawning again, Neal stretched gingerly and turned closing his eyes as he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Elizabeth winced as she sat down with a sigh. She looked across the kitchen table at Eaglet with a glint of curiosity shining in her eyes. El leaned forward as she popped an aspirin into her mouth. "So, what exactly is your name?"

Eaglet looked up at her startled before he replied with a monotonic "Tim." He dimly wondered why she was even attempting to talk to him after he had almost killed her, her friend, and her husband earlier that day.

El nodded in response to his answer as she took a long sip of tea before her eyes widened. "I'm sorry, forgive me for my lack of manners Tim!" She exclaimed as she got up from the table. "Tea?"

Tim blinked in surprise, she was offering him tea? It was almost as if the woman didn't remember that he was an assassin or that he had almost _killed_ her. "Ummm…. Yes please."

Elizabeth grinned as she poured the young man in front of her some more tea, handed him the cup and sat back down.

Both of them heard the loud explanation of disbelief from Peter and El looked at Tim again, this time a confused expression on her face. "Wait a minute, you two are _best_ friends?"

Tim nodded and realized that he was going to be answering that question a lot. "Were." He corrected softly. "I don't think you could really call us 'friends' anymore."

El nodded and had just opened her mouth to say something when a very confused Peter walked into the room. The agent looked at Tim and then at El, a stupefied expression on his face when he noticed that the two were sharing a _cup of tea_ at the kitchen table.

Regaining his composure, Peter snapped a "We need to talk," to Tim and gave the younger man the two-fingered summoning.

Tim glanced over at El as if asking for permission before getting up and following Peter out of the room.

Elizabeth Burke couldn't help but notice that the poor kid was trembling as he followed her husband out of the room. She could only hope that Peter wouldn't end up scaring the kid so bad that he had a heart attack.

Neal probably wouldn't appreciate that very much.

* * *

_**Author's Note: Sorry this chapter was so short I guys! As you can tell from the lack of update (which isn't normal for me) I've been struggling to come up with this chapter since in my opinion I suck at fluff.**_

_**Yep, I excell at writing the not so nice fics/chapters but completly and utterly fail at fluff and non-action chapters...**_

**_Please review, I can promise some more action in the soon future!_**


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